Siewert: “Desperate to score goals, win every battle”

1. FSV Mainz 05 will kick off 2024 with a home game against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CET). The clash with the Wolves will mark the midway point of the season, one which hasn’t gone to plan for the 05ers so far. The home fans will be hoping for a second victory in eight games at the MEWA ARENA this term. At the pre-match press conference two days before the game, Jan Siewert explained why he’s feeling positive ahead of the restart and also discussed the squad.

One of the biggest issues in recent weeks has been fairly obvious according to the coach and the sporting management. The team needs to be a lot more clinical in the final third, something that has cost the 05ers points, particularly in games they have dominated. “We want the players to be desperate to score goals, to win every battle, tackle and game. We have set this task for ourselves and it’s something we’ve worked on during our preparations,” said the head coach before the six-day training camp in Marbella. Among other things, the team worked on their play in the final third, especially their finishing. This was clear in the 2-1 win over Feyenoord, in which Jonny Burkardt and Silvan Widmer got themselves on the scoresheet. “We’ve looked to make more runs in behind recently and got two goals this way last time out,” said Siewert on Thursday afternoon. “I also liked how we played the ball out under pressure and still remained compact,” he praised. Siewert and his players have been back in Mainz preparing for the Wolfsburg game since Tuesday. 

Competition for places

The players looked ready for action during the training session in front of the fans in midweek. The session included 3x3 and 4x4 drills, as well as lots of shooting practice. There is a real fight on to be in the starting XI this Saturday, with every training session carried out a high intensity. “The lads are making it really difficult for me. I like how they are training with so much passion and desire. The competition for places is a lot tougher than at the end of the year,” stated Siewert. He will definitely be without Stefan Bell (illness), Jae-sung Lee (Asia Cup) and Nelson Weiper (knee) this weekend.

The upcoming opponents have also endured a season to forget so far. Wolfsburg have lost nine games already – one more than FSV have – and are in 10th place on 19 points. Despite this record, Mainz are full of respect for the Wolves: “Wolfsburg are an extremely compact side and play at a high intensity. They keep things tight, have lots of individual quality and can threaten from both the flanks and the middle of the park. We want to neutralise their threats,” added Siewert.

The 41-year-old has no doubt that his squad is good enough for the forthcoming relegation battle. Just like in every transfer window, the club is keeping their options open, he revealed, but don’t feel under any pressure to bring a new face or two in. “To be honest, I believe we’ve got a good team that can beat the drop together.” Siewert will be hoping they can show just why he believes in them on Saturday at home.